


over your head

by onakissgodknows



Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: Colorado Rockies, M/M, Not Beta Read, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-24 22:46:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14365296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onakissgodknows/pseuds/onakissgodknows
Summary: #1. things you said at 1 a.m.





	over your head

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spilborghs (carebearstare)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/carebearstare/gifts).



> Written for the prompt "things you said at 1 am." Kind of turned into "things you said while drunk at 1 am."
> 
> This is set early during the 2013 MLB season, Nolan's rookie year, so May/June-ish since he was called up at the end of April.

Nolan’s trying to focus on what’s going on around him, except he’s mostly focused on not puking tequila all over Troy Tulowitzki’s kitchen floor.

He doesn’t really remember getting here, just that the cab dropped them off and he’d meant to stay in it, ride it the rest of the way home, but Troy’s fingers closed around his wrist and now he’s in Troy’s apartment and his shoes are off, which he also doesn’t remember, and the alcohol in his system is finally catching up with him.

At the very least, Troy is as unsteady on his feet as Nolan is, so maybe for once they’re on level ground.

Troy gets a bottle of water from his fridge and then leans against the stainless steel and sinks to the floor. “Sit down,” he says to Nolan. “You look like you’re about to fall.”

Nolan sits down on the tile floor across from Troy, his back to the pristine cabinetry.

Troy twists the top off the water bottle and chugs some of it. He swishes it around in his mouth, swallows, and says, “In over your head yet, rook?”

It’s possible Nolan hasn’t been this drunk in awhile. It’s possible Troy hasn’t either. It’s possible they shouldn’t have done this tonight, but tomorrow’s an off day anyway, and wait, what is Troy asking him? “Huh?”

“First month in the bigs,” Troy says, flashing his teeth and setting the bottle down next to him. “How you holding up?” For all the world, he’s a grizzled veteran at twenty-eight.

Nolan blinks, still unsure what he’s being asked. A month ago he was in Albuquerque, trying to get his everyday at-bats with the Triple A team. Now he’s here, and yeah, it’s different, but… “It’s not like they change the rules or whatever, it’s the same game.” Nolan could play baseball in his sleep.

Troy kind of looks at him for a minute, and then laughs, like he’s surprised Nolan’s funny. Nolan can’t stop himself from grinning back like an idiot, but he wants to make Troy laugh again because – well – Troy is not easily impressed.

Like he’s reading Nolan’s mind, Troy says, “I know I’m kind of a hardass to you. It’s just ‘cause I know you’re better than you play sometimes.”

Nolan bobs his head in agreement. “No, it’s cool! You’re usually right.”

“Usually,” Troy says, a little mockingly, and laughs again, and heat pools in Nolan’s stomach. He can’t stop smiling.

“So,” Troy goes on, “you’re not in over your head?”

Nolan shrugs. “Like I said. It’s the same game I always play. I know I gotta get better, but I will.”

Troy sips his water some more. “Yeah, guess I don’t mean only the game.” He holds Nolan’s gaze, and Nolan’s stomach twists in knots again, because okay, maybe Troy’s right. He knows it’s normal to look up to your teammates, especially because he’s a rookie and he’s learning, but he thinks about Troy an awful lot, and Troy clearly knows it, the way he’s looking at him, and Nolan thinks maybe he should leave or apologize or ask Troy what he’s supposed to do about it, and oh God, he hasn’t stopped thinking about Troy Tulowitzki for weeks and Troy _knows_ it.

Troy abruptly looks away and stands up. “I’m gonna sleep.”

“Oh!” Nolan gets to his feet and oh yeah, he’s still kind of drunk. “I should go, then.”

Troy shakes his head, making a face. “No, don’t be stupid, you should stay. I don’t need you going anywhere like this.” He turns and walks out of the kitchen, Nolan trailing after him uncertainly. “I’ll sleep on the couch,” Troy says over his shoulder.

“Oh, uh – “ It’s Troy’s house. Nolan feels bad.

“Don’t argue, okay? I’m not taking advantage of you, rookie, I’m not that kind of guy.” Even so, Troy strips off his shirt as he walks and drops it on the floor, and Nolan’s probably on fire. Troy flashes a grin at him over his shoulder like he knows. “Not this early in the year, anyway.”

Nolan feels his face warming. “I don’t – “

“Listen.” They’re in the doorway of Troy’s bedroom, a fact Nolan is uncomfortably aware of, and Troy’s smiling but his eyes are serious. “Don’t spread it around or whatever, but I like you, Nolan.”

Who the fuck would Nolan tell? Troy’s drunk and it’s one a.m., anyway, he probably doesn’t even mean it.

Troy pats Nolan on the chest, which makes Nolan wonder if he can feel his heart pounding. “Don’t look so nervous. You’re better than you think you are.”

Nolan says, “Oh.”

Troy laughs. “You’re sweet.” He says it like it’s a secret and Nolan almost wants to assure him that of course he won’t tell anyone he said this.

Troy takes his hand away from Nolan’s chest and he busies himself getting sheets from the closet to set himself up on the couch. He doesn’t say anything else to Nolan other than “good night,” but Nolan thinks if he wasn’t already in over his head, he is now.

**Author's Note:**

> [My writing tumblr](https://on-a-kiss-god-knows.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
